Not Another Night
by moosiah
Summary: After a long night of battling the scum of Hell's Kitchen, Matt needs a little fixing up, and Claire is the woman to do it.


Matt rolled through his window from his fire escape, wondering yet again if he could tough this beating out or if he should call Claire. He felt horrible for calling her ever since she told him he would end up alone and bloody. What made him feel even worse was that he knew it was true, he knew no matter how the story ended he would be left lonely and bleeding out on the floor of some abandoned was starting to feel like she predicted his life when Foggy found out about his nightly habits by finding him in a bloody heap on the floor, and Karen was growing farther and farther away.

Matt was shaken from his thoughts by the sickening thud that echoed around his apartment, created by his dead weight hitting the floor under the window and he laid in a painful heap. He rolled over and started to fish his phone out of the inside pocket of his pants, and dialed Claire's number. It rang twice and then a very tired Claire answered. "What bones did you break this time?" Matt smiled slightly at her sleep slurred words and said sarcastically, "I hate to bother you at this hour, but I may need some stitching up." Matt heard a drowsy groan on the other end of the line, "Fine, I'm on my way."

There was a soft click and the line went dead, so Matt began the agonizing crawl to the sofa. Pulling his partially limp body across the floor, inch by painful inch. As he finally pulled himself on to the soft couch, there was a knock and a quiet, "Matt, it's me Claire." He quietly told her to come in and after the door clicked shut Claire rushed to his side, looking at his beaten body by the light of the gigantic billboard that shown through his window. "Oh my," she breathed, "The really did a number on you this time." Matt chuckled then winced from the pain in his side. "I've had worse, trust me."

Claire started running her hands lightly over his body, feeling for major gashes and breaks, as she got to his chest, lightning flashed in the window and and thunder clapped causing her to jump. "It's going to be a bad storm," said Matt, if you want you can come back after it blows over." "No, no." responded Claire, "here the windows don't leak." Matt nodded, and while making a mental note to do something about that he said "Well after I'm patched up I will make up clean sheets for the bed, I'll sleep here on the couch." Claire made a sound that neither agreed nor disagreed with his statement and murmured " We will see."

Claire continued to stitch up her reckless friend, and as her practiced hands continued work mindlessly, her thoughts began to wander to questions that had been bothering her since she met Matt. What was his job? Where did he learn to fight? Had he always been so darn handsome?

As she stitched up his side and cleaned up some abrasions on his neck and head she took the time to notice his stunning good looks, his face covered in stubble, his strong chest covered in scars moving with each breath, and his arms, scraped and bruised, but oddly it only made him more attractive. "Claire," Matt murmured, jolting her from her thoughts, "you're thinking very loudly. Anything you need to say you can say." Claire paused for a second and thought about it. "No Matt," She finally said. "I just need to get you fixed up." After what felt like hours of awkward silence littered with slight groans from Matt when Claire jumped at the thunderclaps, Claire finished her work and Matt sat up slowly.

"Well, I'll be seeing you Matt." Claire said. "Wait, are you sure? it's raining something awful out there," Matt said in a concerned tone. Claire considered, and then responded, "Well, since you offered, I'll just crash here on your couch." They stood up together and shuffled through the apartment to his bed and laid Matt down to rest. Claire stood by the bed a second while Matt closed his eyes and started to breathe deeply. She started to turn around but was stopped when Matt shot his hand out, faster than anyone as beat up as he was should be able to, and grabbed her hand. "Stay," Matt whispered, "Stay here with me." Claire paused for a second, pondering the offer. If she got in bed with him there would be not coming back, she had been teetering on the edge of romantic feelings since he saved her in her friend's apartment, and this could be the final push she needed. But on the other hand, how could she care so deeply for someone who, every night, risked their life to fight the most dangerous people in Hell's Kitchen. "Claire, please just stay" Matt whispered again, almost pleading. Claire let out a heavy sigh, "Okay, scoot over some if you can manage."

Matt could not stop the grin from breaking out over his face and he was sure Claire could see it. He shifted over enough so she would have enough space for her to lay down, but small enough so that she would have to lay against him, not hard considering he only had a twin bed. Matt felt the bed dip and her warm skin was against was pressed against his against him, his grin widened even more when he felt she turn his back to him so he could hold her to his chest.

"Don't get all perv-y Matt," Claire muttered, "just because you're blind doesn't mean you get a free pass to feel me up." "I won't," promised Matt, "I wouldn't dream of it." "Well we will see about that in a minute, won't we?" Claire whispered as she fell asleep. About two seconds after that Matt joined her in slumber, curled up together perfectly.

The End


End file.
